hold tight, they all leave eventually

Summary:

Notes:

Work Text:

God he really doesn’t want to be here. He should be here and he has to be here because everybody is fucking here, but shit he really does not want to.

He’s walking down the mess stairs looking over to his and his dad’s regular table when he sees why, when he sees the reason he really just wants to get back to their room and take everything that belongs to him with them.

Raleigh has been stuck to Herc’s side since he walked into this place, and it got even worse after he saved the kid’s arse in the kwoon the other day. Whenever he had the chance he was right there, ready to get Herc’s attention like some fucking touch-starved puppy that the owner never loved.

Which, Raleigh probably has that kind of shit wrapped up somewhere in him, but that’s not really Chuck’s problem. His problem is the eyes the guy makes at his dad and just how bad he wants to rip them out for it.

He drops his tray brashly on the table to cut up whatever Raleigh was saying and to get Herc’s eyes on him for a bit. Which he does, easily, and so he gives a little smile back like Raleigh isn’t even there. He shouldn’t be anyway, Mako is probably waiting for him somewhere and he’s wasting her good time here, flirting and gushing like he’s twelve. She should find better friends; but again, that’s not Chuck’s problem.

“The corn tastes like arse, don’t try it.”

“Right.”

Yeah, his father’s attention is definitely off Raleigh for a bit as Chuck sits down and settles in across from him. He starts with the chicken because everything else is dubious and holds a gaze with his dad for a bit just to bite at Raleigh’s nerves.

That is, until the guy scoots in just that little distance closer on Herc’s side and starts up his speech again, then Chuck’s drilling out holes in his head instead. Raleigh doesn’t even care though because he’s just so damn intent on getting Herc to notice him and it’s bloody ridiculous.

What’s worse though, is that Herc doesn’t even catch it on his radar as something to watch out for or comment on. Chuck has no idea why it doesn’t bother him, or why he doesn’t say anything to stop it, but he guesses it’s because his dad likes the attention that comes with the flirting. That or he just can’t pick out flirting when he sees it, but Chuck really fucking doubts that.

Though, just to be sure it’s not something he has to worry about, he unzips his boot and skims his sock-covered foot against the back of his dad’s calf and slides upwards and down again at his leisure.

That snaps his dad right back to him and it’s almost everything he needed, except his blue eyes give more of a glare to cover up the want buried in them, but that’s all fixable. He’s surprised Herc isn’t putting up more of a fight, but then, his dad must be just as sick of Raleigh’s talking as he is.

The guy’s still rambling on and pausing at little sections for Herc to put in his few comments saying that yes, he is listening, which he does graciously without stutter, and that is also fixable.

Chuck’s got his toes up to the meat of Herc’s thigh now and he can just fucking see it working through his dad’s nerves and up his neck. The old man’s way too polite to cut Raleigh off, though, and that’s kind of the whole point. If his dad won’t get the guy to stop, then he’ll have some fun messing with him until he does.

He pushes the top half of his foot against his dad’s dick through his pants, and he can’t even hold back a smirk when Herc grips the edge of the table and leans forward just so slightly. It’s a nice thing, watching Herc do so well at keeping his appearance in check, but it just makes Chuck want to wreck him even more.

He realizes, though, how easily they could get caught. He always loved the feeling of that, knowing they shouldn’t but still pushing the walls of his father’s comfort anyway. The thrill of it alone could get him off, letting out this little secret of theirs that exactly no one would love to come to know. Some, though, probably wouldn’t be so adverse, just indifferent, and those aren’t the people Chuck wants to have find them out. He wants to piss everyone off and raise a little hell, but that was never really Herc’s thing.

Chuck’s moving his foot up and down his dad’s hardening length while Herc is biting his lip and digging his fingers into his palm, and damn, it’s a beautiful sight to see. But Raleigh’s not talking anymore and no one really noticed until now so he looks away from his father’s flushed appearance to check if the kid left or if he’s just waiting for a reply that won’t come.

But when he does, Raleigh is looking at his dad’s crotch, and he wants to blacken the kid’s eyes again, until, of course, he remembers why Raleigh might be looking there and gets his old smirk carved right back into his cheeks. But he backs off; just so Herc isn’t completely incoherent if he’s forced to talk. Which, if Chuck has his way, he’ll do all the talking while Herc just sits with a hard dick and nowhere to go.

“What the hell?”

Raleigh’s voice is really fucking annoying. Does everyone just ignore it or are they constantly pissed off too?

Chuck sighs and picks at his mashed potatoes, “What’s the problem, Ray? Run out of useless things to blabber on about?”

Herc grunts out a little ‘Chuck’ in warning but he’s already not listening to it.

Raleigh stammers, “I, uh…”

“Interesting.”

“What the hell…”

Chuck takes the opportunity, “Oh, you didn’t know?”

He fucking loves the look on Raleigh’s face right now. He’s kind of worried about the one on Herc’s, though.

Raleigh coughs a little, “Um, know what?”

“Well, see,” Chuck puts on a smile and makes uncomfortable eye contact with the guy, “dad’s already got someone to suck his dick, so you can stop trying so bloody hard now and just go find someone else to chase down.”

Herc’s ‘Chuck’ warning is firmer this time and Chuck finally pays attention. He looks back to his dad ready to defend himself but Herc doesn’t look pissed, just looks like he wants Chuck to stop, so he does. Though, he does have some more to say.

But then Raleigh’s standing a stammering around with a hand on the back of his neck before Chuck gets the chance to say anything else and fuck all if he isn’t going to get shit for that later; maybe not from Herc, but definitely from someone.

“I’m gonna- I’ll just-“ Raleigh falters as he throws his thumb over his shoulder in presumably the direction he’d like to exit and Chuck really can’t find it in him to feel bad.

Raleigh looks back for a second to say a sweet little, “Bye, Herc”, and Chuck rolls his eyes so fucking hard he could pull something. Herc just puts on a small smile and nods.

Chuck breaks in with a “See ya, Ray” and waves him off but yeah, no, he’s not really in it to be kind.

He looks to his dad for damage control but he can’t really find anything he needs to fix or explain for, Herc’s just watching him with a curious expression Chuck doesn’t know what to do with, and then he just shakes his head a bit and goes back to eating.

Worked out better than Chuck could have hoped, then, so he doesn’t really want to question it.

But then his dad leans forward and says real low, “This isn’t over, you know, and you’re a brat for making me hard in the goddamn mess hall just to get your point across.”

Chuck’s smile is bright and wanton and he’s too damn happy to give a shit about the backlash he might be getting later.

-

Chuck’s relaxing on the couch with Max at his feet when it comes to a head.

Herc has just walked in from his meeting with Pentecost that Chuck didn’t bother to hear the details on and he’s heading to his room without even complaining about the suits, so Chuck follows.

He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the door frame, watching Herc undo his tie and unbutton the jacket, pants, shirt, and his dad doesn’t say a word.

It’s only when it’s been a solid couple minutes of dead air and Herc is just pulling on one of his old, more worn henleys that Chuck says, “I don’t think you're pissed, but I could be wrong.”

Herc looks up and smiles a bit at him, “Not wrong. It’s just, I spent half that meeting wondering why the hell you pulled that stunt in the mess earlier, and then the other half was spent wondering how many suits already know about us, even though I couldn’t care less.”

Herc walks around to the end of the bed and drops down on it, running his hands over his face and scratching at his stubble, “But the point is; just, tell me what the hell you were thinking.”

Herc’s watching him as he unfolds and walks up to his father’s sitting form. He pushes at Herc’s shoulders and his dad mutters, “too old to be sitting on my damn lap”, but Chuck knows he’s lying so he climbs on anyway. Herc places his hands on Chuck’s hips under his thin t-shirt and it feels like coming home.

Herc’s watching him patiently and waiting for an explanation so Chuck puts a hand in his father’s hair and one on his neck and settles in.

“Well, I’ll give you the bare bones of it.” he pauses to consider the best way to go about accusing his dad of soaking up another guy’s attention and looks back to Herc.

“Raleigh was all over you, and either you didn’t care or you didn’t notice, so I fixed it. That’s all.” That really was all he was doing, and saying.

Herc’s looking up at him with an expression he can’t decipher and Chuck’s not sure what he was expecting but apparently he didn’t get it.

“Christ’s sake, Chuck; Raleigh? Really?”

Now Chuck’s confused.

“You’re seriously worried about him?”

Not worried, just, annoyed-

He talks out loud instead, “No, ‘course not, he was just being bloody annoying and he wouldn’t stop, so I took care of it.”

Herc looks unimpressed.

“Well, you were the one letting him go on with it and loving all the attention you got, I mean, you could have said something. But you didn’t.”

Okay well now he sounds kind of stupid, but the point still stands. Until Herc’s face shifts entirely and he wants fucking out.

He starts to disentangle himself to get away from that look on his father’s face, but Herc’s got a pretty good grip and a firm voice and he’s not going anywhere.

“Chuck, listen-“ Herc works him back into place and then pulls him even closer, “I wasn’t letting him keep on, he just did, and I wasn’t looking for his attention, he was just giving it. I didn’t care because I didn’t want it, I didn’t even think about it. It didn’t matter.”

Chuck’s worried his dad’s going to get even more overly sentimental on him so he bends down and kisses him to shut him up because that’s really enough, he believes him, it’s enough.

But apparently not because Herc only kisses back for a fraction of a second before he’s pushing at Chuck’s chest and trying to get a few words in.

“Just you, son, okay? Just-“

And yeah, that’s what Chuck wanted to cut off, it’s all too sappy for his comfort so he shoves his dad down flat on the bed instead.

“Alright, alright, now shut up old man.”

Chuck kisses his dad until he’s sure Herc’s done trying to talk about it, and then he kisses him some more.